Matters involving physical computer components, circuitry and parts, as opposed to matters of software or computer programming
1
vote
2answers
109 views
Fixing old G3 and G4 laptops
After I replaced the hard drive in my old iBook G3 (with the help of iFixit guides), it will not boot connected to mains power, only with the battery. It also always returns its date/time settings to ...
5
votes
2answers
132 views
current leakage of mbp?
I can feel current leakage on my mbp when it is being charged. And it seems a lot of people in my country report the same problem.
Is this because of the voltage(220V) we use?
What's the solution?
...
2
votes
1answer
243 views
What's the refresh rate/sampling rate for the sudden motion sensor?
I like using my macbook pro's sudden motion sensors as an accelerometer for small at-home experiments. There are applications such as Seismac that already let you do this.
I'm now writing one myself ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there a Mac diagnostics utility for troubleshooting hardware issues?
Is there software that helps identify problems, issues, conflicts, etc. with the hardware of a Mac?
I came across Tech Tool Deluxe, which was apparently used in Applecare. Wondering if there was any ...
2
votes
2answers
340 views
How can I benchmark my new RAM?
Based on the responses to my earlier question about memory replacement, I plan to upgrade soon. That said, once I've acquired and installed said memory, what is the recommended Mac software I should ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
What kind of SSD is compatible with the 2010 Unibody MacBook?
I'm considering buying a solid state drive for my Unibody White MacBook 2010. The trouble is, I have no idea what to look for. What kind of connector am I looking for? (SATA?) What size? I'm told to ...
22
votes
6answers
5k views
What are the best practices for battery longevity?
How do you maximize the cycle count of your battery?
There seems to be a debate between:
Leave plugged in 24/7 but do a full cycle once a month
Charge to ~100%, drain to ~10%, repeat.
NOTE: ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Does AppleCare cover physical wear on MacBook Pros?
I have a Mid-2010 MacBook Pro with AppleCare. I've had a few minor/cosmetic hardware issues:
My power cord recently started coming apart. The rubber/plastic coating around the MagSafe end of the ...
0
votes
1answer
196 views
Using the extra SATA ports on a 2006 Mac Pro under Bootcamp
i have a 2006 MacPro (Dual, Dual Core Xeon) which is currently running Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V. I have read (and checked in my case) that there are 2 extra SATA ports on the mother board ...
1
vote
1answer
198 views
Mac Keyboard Doesn't Recognize iPhone via USB
I have a new Mac Keyboard and I've successfully connected my mouse to it, however when I connect my iPhone nothing happens. The iPhone doesn't go into a charge state and my MBP doesn't detect the ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
What's the name of the screwdriver that will open up an iPhone 4?
I realize that opening up the iPhone can void the warranty, it's already out of warranty, so I'm okay with that. I was wondering where I could get a screwdriver that will open up the 2nd generation ...
4
votes
2answers
232 views
Where can I get highly technical documentation of Macintosh hardware?
I am often looking to dig deeper than the overview technical specifications that Apple provides and miss the old Developer Notes that used to be published as Apple Hardware Documentation in HTML and ...
2
votes
3answers
4k views
MacBook Screen Does Not Work, External Monitor Does
Update 2012-03-19: I never figured out what the problem was because the screen started to work again after reinstalling OS X 10.6 for a second time. I sold the Mac on eBay a few months afterward (I ...
2
votes
2answers
469 views
Are there any third party displays that have similar resolution and image quality to the Thunderbolt Display?
The cinema and thunderbolt displays are expensive. As such, I'm thinking about a third party display to attach to my MacBook. I currently have a Dell 24" monitor, but the color is waaaay off. The IT ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Does the iPad 2 HDMI out adapter work with the new iPad?
I was at the Apple store yesterday and I wanted to purchase an HDMI out adapter for my new iPad. Oe of the employees said to wait becaus they're getting in newer ones for the new iPad, which should ...
2
votes
2answers
281 views
Is the connector the only difference between a Cinema Display and a Thunderbolt Display?
Is the connector the only difference between a Cinema Display and a Thunderbolt Display, or are there other features that changed between the two models as well?
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Is the camera in the new iPad using “4S optics”?
Apple's website merely identifies it as a "5 megapixel iSight" camera. MacRumors claims that Apple is reusing older parts. I recall reading that the new iPad has a better camera than prior models, so ...
2
votes
1answer
695 views
Can I remove the clip of the iPod nano 6G?
Is there a (non-brute-force) way to remove the clip-part of the iPod nano 6G? I find, I don't use it and it add clunkiness. Also it's a bit scratched since it's the only part not protected by a ...
5
votes
2answers
4k views
How I can get OSX to recognize Canon MP560 Scanner again?
I have a Cannon MP560 that kept having communications errors. One of the suggestions I read was to remove the printer from the print & scan menu and re-add it. Once I did that the scanner ...
2
votes
1answer
192 views
Will the new iPad be world ready?
The specs for the third generation Verizon iPad say that it will be GSM/EDGE compatible. Does this mean that the Verizon new iPad will have a SIM card slot? Will I be better off with a Verizon iPad if ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Do persistently incorrect disk permissions indicate a disk should be replaced?
Something is wrong with my Mac, as indicated (and still unresolved) in the question:
What is the Sixth Step of MacBook Repair?
One possibility is that the main disk is faulty.
Disk Utility reports ...
2
votes
1answer
696 views
Is it possible to add an internal broadband card to MacBook Air?
I have a Mid-2011 MacBook Air 11". Can I add a Verizon (or any kind of) broadband card to it internally? We want to avoid having an awkward USB modem hanging off the side.
2
votes
3answers
172 views
What are good warranty coverage options for a pre-owned Mac?
I am really looking at getting a used Mac Pro, and there are a lot of good used machines out there that will meet my needs that are around $1500. I was wondering what options I can get to help cover ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Use MacBook Pro LCD Screen as a standalone monitor
I have a broken MBP (2009, pre-unibody, 15") with a screen which I know is working.
I took it apart and there's this fancy connector, attached to the screen (sorry for branding):
Is it possible to ...
11
votes
5answers
6k views
Can a hobbyist or individual apply for Apple's MFi program?
I found that Apple has the MFi program to help develop a hardware for iPad/iPhone/iPod, but it looks like that only a company can apply for this program.
Can a hobbyist or an individual apply for ...
0
votes
1answer
60 views
Does the Mac Pro 2008 display memory speeds accurately in System Information?
Can anyone confirm that when a Mac Pro 2008 has 800MHz FB-DIMMs installed it displays the Ram speed as 800Mhz in the System Information and not 667MHZ. I am running OS X Lion.
6
votes
4answers
1k views
Is it okay to install OS X on an external drive, and then install that drive as an internal drive?
My internal drive is suffering hardware failure, so I bought OS X Snow Leopard (to upgrade my iMac from Leopard), a new drive, and a cheap external USB 2.0 enclosure. My plan is to install a clean ...
0
votes
1answer
390 views
Why does the iPhone 4S weigh more than the iPhone 4?
It's been commonly noted that the iPhone 4S looks the same, but that its internals have been upgraded. Despite that, the iPhone 4S weighs more.
What causes the added weight?
4
votes
4answers
891 views
How can I use an ADB Apple Keyboard with a modern Mac?
I recently found an old Apple Extended Keyboard that uses the ADB interface. I would like to use it, but I don't have an ADB-to-USB converter. I know of only one which is the Griffin iMate. ...
2
votes
1answer
836 views
MacMini crashing after changing memory?
After I bought a new MacBook Pro 2011 with 4 GB or RAM at 1333 MHz I decided to switch the RAM with the one from the old MacMini 8 Gb at 1066 MHz.
Initially I was expecting to have problems with the ...
0
votes
1answer
642 views
Wacom Bamboo - no pressure sensivity
I have a Wacom Bamboo tablet. I installed Wacom drivers, and Wacom dock. Now I can use both the pen and touch, but there is no pressure sensivity when using the pen (I tried using it in Photoshop). Is ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Upgrading iMac G3 memory
I got an iMac g3 450 mhz (summer 2000 i think) and i want to upgrade its memory. I know i need PC 100/133 168 pin . I already got one 512mb from amazon with those specs although it didn't work. For ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
How can I find the serial number on a mac programmatically from the terminal?
What command can I use to retrieve the system's serial number from the unix command line? As uname will output some information about the software and hardware, I would like to retrieve the serial ...
3
votes
1answer
969 views
MacBook not detecting external display
I have an old MacBook 1.1 and since I upgraded to Mac OS X 10.6 it does not seem to connect to my external Monitor or TV. I'm using the Mini-DVI to VGA adapter. I've tried using detect displays and ...
2
votes
2answers
198 views
'09 mac mini hardware upgrade advice
Hello all I have an early '09 Mac mini 3,1 (Intel Core 2 duo 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD) which I need to upgrade soon as it is slowly dying (i.e., runnning an IDE like netbeans while having chrome open ...
2
votes
1answer
122 views
Which connection interface should I use with my next external HDD?
I've recently bought a new macbook pro.
Since my old backup hard drive is failing, I'm planning on buying a new one.
I don't want to spend a lot of cash and I would like a decent amount of extra ...
0
votes
1answer
612 views
Extending extending network using airport express
I know that this has been discussed before but this is a slightly different scenario.
I live in a very elongated apartment and the signal is very bad in one end. I have a D-Link 655 (or something ...
1
vote
1answer
25k views
How to replace iPhone 4 front glass?
My iPhone 4 front glass broke. Screen is OK, I only want to replace the glass. Assuming I get a new glass, is it hard to replace it myself? Can anyone provide some step by step tutorial on how to ...
0
votes
2answers
886 views
MacBook Pro (15" mid-2010) crashes upon waking up from sleep sometimes
I have this MacBook for quite a while now. It's been working just fine with the exception of sleep/wake-up issues. Sometimes there's no problem at all, but occasionally it does not.
For instance, I ...
4
votes
1answer
993 views
How hot is too hot for my macbook?
I have a macbook (2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo upgraded to 8GB 1067 MHz DDR3 RAM) running OS X version 10.6.8. I do a lot of prototyping for high performance computing on this macbook (running c++, ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Why can't I insert a DVD into my Mac Mini?
I'm trying, without success, to insert a DVD inside my Mac mini DVD drive. Let me say that actually the computer is without the upper case and the HD drive has been taken from a Windows laptop (it is ...
1
vote
2answers
346 views
Is there an iOS lifecycle policy - i.e. which older devices a new iOS release supports?
This question gives useful information on iOS 4.3 support. However is there a publicly available policy for future iOS versions on which devices they will support? For example, do they always support ...
3
votes
2answers
132 views
Unexplainable large number of cycles of MacBook Battery
My battery is a year old, but it has 189 cycles. Why is this? I always use my MacBook with the charger plugged in and very rarely without the charger.
4
votes
1answer
189 views
Can I convert a RAID 0 set to a RAID 5 set?
Can I convert a RAID 0 set to a RAID 5 set in a Mac Pro? I currently have two 500GB drives in a RAID 0 set. I want to add a third drive and convert it to a RAID 5 set. Is it possible to do this ...
2
votes
2answers
377 views
Is it possible to change the wireless card on a MacBook Pro?
I'm interested in possibly upgrading my MacBook Pro's wireless card. Is this possible? Can I take apart the MacBook and install it? Is there a guide somewhere on how to do this?
(This isn't because ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
iPhone 4 receiver won't work
I've got an iPhone 4. One sunny day the receiver stopped working (the headset. the part where I hear the other side).
The speaker mode will work just fine, the headphones will work just fine, in any ...
2
votes
1answer
945 views
MBAir wifi hardware not installed
I posted this question over at the Apple Support forums a couple days ago, but I haven't gotten an answer yet so I'll also post it here.
Ever since I bought my 11' mid-2011 MBA I have issues with ...
2
votes
1answer
192 views
What is the most powerful Mac capable of running Mac OS 9?
I know that there was a period of time after Mac OS X came out that new Macs still shipped with Mac OS 9 for a number of reasons (OS X was buggy, better compatibility with Classic apps, etc). This is ...
4
votes
7answers
7k views
Why is my MacBook Pro's screen going black for a second?
I have a new MacBook Pro, when I'm using it the screen goes suddenly blank for a second and comes back, it feels like as if someone unplugged my screen and plugged it back immediately.. why does this ...
3
votes
1answer
529 views
Weird characters appear when pressing command-A,C,V
I'm not using Mac keyboard however it did work properly before. I changed the Command key to my Ctrl-key. Until today, using this Ctrl key yield extremely odd characters. When pressing
Ctrl-A yields ...
